How to Care for a Zamia Bonsai Plant
Zamia is also called the cardboard palm due to its stiff palm-like leaves. It is actually not really a palm nor is it a bonsai, but it is sold as one. The plant grows in Florida, the West Indies and Mexico and thrives in sun and heat. Zamia is a small plant that will only grow 4 to 5 feet in the ground and is easily contained to less than a foot in a shallow bonsai dish. The plant needs to be root pruned every couple of years to keep it small and repotting is advised every year or two. It makes an excellent houseplant and is relatively easy to care for. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Zamia plant
- Bonsai pot
- Bonsai tools
- Loam
- Sand
- Small gravel
- Balanced fertilizer
Instructions
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1
Remove the zamia plant from its nursery pot. Use the bonsai pruners to cut off approximately 1 inch of roots from the bottom and sides of the root ball. Cut off any roots that are bigger in diameter than a pencil.
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2
Make a planting mixture of 1 part loam and 1 part sand with a handful of small gravel. Fill the bonsai container with this mixture. Scoop out an area big enough to contain the root ball of the zamia plant. Place the plant in the depression and add enough planting mix to cover it to the base of the trunk. Press the soil down firmly to remove air pockets.
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3
Water the bonsai until the water runs out of the drainage hole. Allow the plant to dry out between waterings and then soak it again. Place your palm on the surface of the soil to check the moisture level. If it feels dry water it. In summer you will need to water daily.
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4
Place the plant in a sunny to partially sunny location that is at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Avoid full southern exposure as it might burn the tips of the fronds. Cut off spent fronds as they occur and remove any shoots that might sprout from the base of the plant.
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5
Fertilize the plant once annually with a balanced fertilizer. Follow the dilution directions and water it in to the roots until it pours out of the drainage hole. Do not fertilize in winter.
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6
Prune the plant to keep its natural shape. The zamia doesn't require much structural pruning as it grows in a natural mounding shape that will stay small due to the root pruning.
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